Benzie County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Normal · 44.6 | 18,441 people · 63rd most distressed in Michigan
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Benzie County, MI falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 44.6 — 2024th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within Michigan, it ranks 63rd of 83 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Benzie County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 78.8 — worse than roughly 79% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 78.8
Unemployment Rate 90
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 86
Business Formation Rate 60
Housing Cost Burden 50.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 38
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 66
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 81
Homeownership Rate 5
Rent-to-Income Ratio 62
Community Vulnerability 46.2
Uninsured Rate 38
Disability Rate 54
Income & Poverty 26.5
Poverty Rate 18
Income vs. State Median 31
Child Poverty Rate 31
Debt & Delinquency 21.1
Debt in Collections 12
Medical Debt 23
Student Loan Delinquency 37
Auto Loan Delinquency 24
Credit Card Delinquency 8
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 23

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Benzie County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Benzie County
Benzie County, MI 44.6 Normal —
Wexford County, MI 53.4 Elevated +8.8
Manistee County, MI 53.0 Elevated +8.3
Grand Traverse County, MI 30.9 Healthy -13.7
Door County, WI 29.8 Healthy -14.8
Kewaunee County, WI 26.0 Healthy -18.6
Leelanau County, MI 25.3 Healthy -19.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Benzie County
Edgar County, IL 44.6 Normal -0.0
Price County, WI 44.7 Normal +0.0
Macoupin County, IL 44.7 Normal +0.0
Stevens County, WA 44.6 Normal -0.1
Stewart County, TN 44.7 Normal +0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Benzie County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Benzie County

Find an Attorney

State Bar of Michigan Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of Michigan Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-968-0738

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Benzie County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid & Defender Association of Detroit 313-967-5555
Michigan Legal Help / Wolverine Legal Aid
Neighborhood Legal Services of Michigan 248-548-3838
Michigan Advocacy Program 616-774-0672
Legal Services of South Central Michigan 734-665-6181
Lakeshore Legal Aid (888) 783-8190
Legal Aid of Western Michigan (616) 774-0672
Legal Services of Eastern Michigan (800) 322-4512
Legal Services of Northern Michigan, Inc. (906) 786-2303

Self-Help Resources

Michigan Legal Help — Foreclosure Self-help guides and interactive tools for Michigan foreclosure process and defenses
MSHDA Homeowner Resources Assistance programs, counselor referrals, and MIHAF information

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Benzie County, Michigan?

    Benzie County has a County Distress Index score of 44.6 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,024th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 63rd in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Benzie County?

    The primary driver of distress in Benzie County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 78.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Benzie County compare to neighboring counties?

    Benzie County (44.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Wexford County, MI (53.4); Manistee County, MI (53.0); Grand Traverse County, MI (30.9).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Benzie County?

    Benzie County, Michigan has a population of approximately 18,441 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.